Satire Shines Bright in ‘Falling Star’

An amiable new comedy by Lee Murphy brings a warm-hearted satirical voice to the slice-of-dysfunctional-family-life genre in “Catch a Falling Star” at the Victory Theatre in Burbank.

Punning on the title of the wistful popular tune, the falling star is Ginny (Kathleen Bailey), an ironically small-time actress trying to escape her recent sordid past with a return visit to her small Texas hometown.

Lifelong mother-daughter tensions figure prominently as Ginny’s mom (Maree Cheatham) insists on publicly celebrating the homecoming without giving Ginny the chance to explain why that might not be such a good idea. Despite her character’s flawed past, Bailey is consistently sympathetic and engagingly frazzled in the resulting clash between Ginny’s hard-won personal insights and her mother’s narrow-minded delusions. Rounding out the family portrait are Ginny’s surly, alcoholic father (Sandy Ward), hilariously sarcastic sister (Sharon Johnston), perky, naive niece (Christy Beth Knapp) and her eccentric brother-in-law (Russell Philpott), a Texas Buddhist.

Maria Gobetti’s brisk, focused staging benefits from tight ensemble performances and first-rate production values. Not all the scenes and subplots are essential, however--this is a two-hour play trapped in a 2 1/2-hour time slot.

* “Catch a Falling Star,” Victory Theatre, 3326 Victory Blvd., Burbank. Thursdays--Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Indefinitely. $15-$17. (818) 841-5421. Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes.